The 2012 Hunter Awards: Look back on year in sports - the people and games that made news in central Ohio

Sunday

Dec 30, 2012 at 12:01 AMDec 30, 2012 at 1:13 PM

When the staff of the Hunter Awards realized that the NHL might take another season off, we saw an opportunity to stage our annual awards ceremony at that suddenly empty, airplane hanger-sized structure called Nationwide Arena.

When the staff of the Hunter Awards realized that the NHL might take another season off, we saw an opportunity to stage our annual awards ceremony at that suddenly empty, airplane hanger-sized structure called Nationwide Arena.

Usually, our budget — think family picnic in the backyard — couldn’t afford a mammoth entertainment palace, but given all the nights that it figured to sit empty, we thought we would do the staff a favor and keep it from growing cobwebs the size of elephants.

Besides, after Ohio State went 12-0, we had the perfect plan to fill the place: We were going to change the name of the Hunter Awards to the Rose Bowl and hope everyone missed the story about the Buckeyes not being eligible.

Unfortunately, by the time we looked at the calendar, we discovered that on the only date that worked for us, a high-school band had rented it for a bake sale. We tried to explain to the woman running the bake sale that Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer would receive at least one award, but she was blunt in her refusal to give up the date.

“Let them eat cake,” she said. “And it just so happens that I have cake to sell.”

So with no place to hold the ceremony — my garage has a car in it — we will go ahead and announce the winners in the traditional way, in resplendent, full-color, black-and-white ink:

Coach of the Year: Urban Meyer

Man of the Year: John Simon

Woman of the Year: Abby Johnston

Manager of the Year: Dusty Baker

General Manager of the Year: Walt Jocketty

Mirage of the Year: 2013 NHL All-Star Game

Counselor of the Year: Penn State coach Bill O’Brien

Rookie of the Year: Kyrie Irving

Coach? of the Year: Robert Warzycha

Coach of the Month: Marvin Lewis

Comeback of the Year: Ohio State drives 61 yards in 44 seconds for Chris Fields’ touchdown catch with three seconds left against Purdue, ties the score on a conversation pass to tight end Jeff Heuerman and wins 29-22 in overtime.

Backup Quarterback of the Year: Kenny Guiton, who engineered the comeback of the year while Braxton Miller was in a hospital

Upset of the Year: Ohio University defeated Michigan 65-60 in first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Almost Upset of the Year: OU pushes North Carolina to overtime and loses in the Sweet 16.

Blunder of the Year: Despite being the only NFL team with two first-round picks to trade, the Cleveland Browns could not swing a trade with St. Louis to move up from No. 4 to No. 2 for Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Would You Give Us Four Yugos for our Lamborghini? Award: Blue Jackets, who traded Rick Nash for Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky, Tim Erixon and a first-round draft pick

He Couldn’t Win With That Juggernaut? Trophy: Manny Acta

Hostess Brands Inc. Good Business Award: Gary Bettman

Out of Sight, Out of Mind Trophy: Columbus Yellow Jackets

Judge Roy Bean Award: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell

Best Actor: Lance Armstrong

Nice Guys Start 21st Cup: Jared Sullinger

It’s Better To Be Lucky Than Good Award: Rutgers

Maybe It Was Him Cup: Carson Palmer, whose forced trade from Cincinnati to Oakland blew up in his face; the Bengals have made consecutive playoff appearances and the Raiders look like the old Bengals.

Tim Couch Cup: Brandon Weeden

Why Not Just Invite ESPN and CBS to Join the League? Award: Jim Delany

If It’s Tuesday This Must Be Last Place Award: Cleveland

If This Is A Ball I’d Better Shoot It Award: Deshaun Thomas

Loaves and Fishes Award: Brian Kelly

It’s Not “Only Basketball” Anymore Trophy: Thad Matta, who has led Ohio State to two Final Four appearances in the past six years

Gone But Not Forgotten: Samantha Prahalis

Forgotten But Not Gone: Steve Mason

Gone and Forgotten: Sammy Pahlsson

Best Win: Ohio State men’s basketball team’s 77-70 victory over Syracuse in the NCAA East Regional final

Deserved Better: The Reds, who lost ace Johnny Cueto eight pitches into his Game 1 start in a National League divisional series against the Giants

Deserved Worse: Wisconsin, which is going to the Rose Bowl with five losses because of the sanctions against Ohio State and Penn State

Feels Great, Won’t Help Award: The Cleveland Indians signed Nick Swisher to four-year, $56 million deal

Where’s Waldo? Award: Ohio State’s new $7 million scoreboard lists down and distance in the middle of a row of a numbers that includes timeouts, making it a challenge for fans to find the most frequently checked info on the board

Nastier Than the Nasty Boys Trophy: Aroldis Chapman

Good Luck: Johnathan Hankins

Good Riddance: Jeff Carter

“Big” Must Be Relative Award: Big East

“East” Must Be Relative Award: Big East

Most Improved: Carlos Hyde

Least Improved: Grady Sizemore

Most Versatile: Zach Boren

Most Consistent: Joe Thomas

Saviors Aren’t Forever Cup: Mike Holmgren

Chris Palmer Coaching Legends Cup: Pat Shurmur

Most Memorable Moment: Fans storm the field after Ohio State defeated Michigan to complete 12-0 season

Most Confusing Moment: Former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel is cheered, even though the Buckeyes are ineligible for a bowl because of his NCAA violations

Proof that God Exists: Ken Hitchcock, who was fired by the Blue Jackets in 2010, wins the Jack Adams Award as the NHL Coach of the Year in 2012 for leading the St. Louis Blues to a 43-15-11 record

Proof There is No God: LeBron James and the Miami Heat win the NBA title.

It’s Nice to Own Your Own Place Trophy: Tiger Woods, who won the Memorial Tournament for the fifth time

Coy Bacon Award: Geno Atkins

Justin Bieber Award: Aaron Craft

Ignorance May Be Bliss, But It May Get You Fired Award: Former Blue Jackets coach Scott Arniel, who snapped at a reporter for saying his team hadn’t been good 4 on 4 recently, then accused other reporters of ambushing him and “piling on” when told his team had been outscored 8-1

The Problem: Randy Lerner

The Solution: Jimmy Haslam

North Central Wyoming A&T Award: Matta, who would schedule a home game with it if he could find its number

The Mechanics of a Ford Pinto Award: Ubaldo Jimenez

There’s No Place Like Ufa Award: Former Blue Jackets first-round draft pick Nikita Filatov, who is playing in the Continental Hockey League for Salavat Yulaev in Ufa, in the Republic of Bashkortostan

We’re guessing “Filly doesn’t do rebounds” there either.

Bob Hunter is a sports columnist for The Dispatch.

bhunter@dispatch.com

@dailyhunter

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